Denon DP-30L and Perspex cutting to size

[bojan]

I have an old Denon DP-30L II record player, that needs new dust cover.
Because replacements (on ebay) are outrageously expensive (and I found this player on the street, ~20 years ago.. it still works OK, BTW), I was thinking about DIY..

I also have transparent plastic enclosure (probably Perspex) from old tower PC that collects the dust under my work bench (I also found it on the street..) that could be used for player dust cover, I only need to find someone that could cut it to size.
Does anyone know someone who could do it for me, not to cost me arm and leg?

[JA]

You found him... For free. We could cut it with the table saw (but I need to test cut the blade on my dad's table saw on Perspex) or use another one I have, that needs to be setup, or circular saw possibly with router too. What thickness is the Perspex? The result depends on plastic type and blade sharpness and geometry, but you could also consider sanding the edge for final finish and/or flame polishing the edges for a deluxe version.

Do you need to glue the edges of the Perspex? PM me to organise.

Best
JA

[bojan]

Hi JA,

Thank you for the offer :-)
The drawing of the cover is attached here.


And dimensions of that PC tower enclosure (clean of holes) are 440x340mm, so enough for top side, and enough for sides as well (there may be some holes drilled for Motherboard, but perhaps the cover sides can be squeezed between them - I need to dismantle the enclosure first to see - tomorrow.

[Leo.G]

I've been playing with scraps and my cigarette lighter wouldn't flame polish it and my big gas torch would ignite it. I've resorted to 2 grades of wet and dry and Silvo on a microfibre cloth to get a good clear edge.
Normally I used to use Brasso on perspex but it's for finer scratches.
I have seen mention of jig saw with fine blades being suitable for cutting but when I was building cabinets for photographic shops I used to get materials cut and bent by my supplier, it worked out easier especially since I was doing it to help out friends who owned the shops. I cracks so easy.

[JA]

I've seen it done before. Here is a video on the technique used....
Flame Polishing Acrylic (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mmd56UMHDK0)

Also Bonding Acrylic (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1psXaAZssGI)

more bonding (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSIVa_TzN8w)

Best
JA

[Leo.G]

Thanks JA, that's an interesting video and some of the responses to comments are good. I was playig with a cigarette lighter on thin material, I kept melting it. I didn't know the polishing was done at such a high temperature though I understand the speed.



The best bonding back in the early 90s when I was playing with the stuff was chloroform (recommended by my supplier who was a plastics engineer and he'd bend and cut what I needed for cabinets I was doing). I could purchase pure chloroform from a young lady who owned a local chemist shop in Kogorah when I lived down there. At the time it was the only thing which gave a clear, seamless glue line. Now I believe there are a lot of options for gluing. I used syringes with needles for the joints.



Ah, they're using a fine flame, my big torch is more suitable to plumbing work and doesn't do fine, controlled flame very well. I had a full new oxy set I loaned a friend and never saw again. I couldn't afford the cylinders anyway.


Reading the technical data sheet for Weld-On 4 it sounds exactly like chloroform, especially the dizziness and how it welds.

[JA]

Hi Leo,

Yes I too remember chloroform being used by a friend of mine in acrylic bonding. Given its potential for misuse ....Good luck getting it today (probably).

Best
JA

[Leo.G]

I still have some old stuff in a bottle somewhere, it's no good for acrylic now but I'm betting it would still give me a nasty head spin. I've been meaning to take it to a pharmacy and have them dispose of it, it was full strength not the watered down stuff available now through chemical companies.
It was used as anaesthetic back in the day, very imprecise science which claimed many victims.